Martin was always destined to own a winery. Growing up in the Yarra Valley, it was in his blood from an early age. He worked on two vineyards while studying engineering. Testing his skills, he struck out on his own, with a small block of Marsanne and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Sadly, engineering took Martin far from wine country. He worked at Jabiru in the Northern Territory for two years, before relocating to Brisbane, where he established a successful career in project management, specialising in hospitality projects. 2004 was a year of destiny. Martin’s consulting firm was awarded the project management contract to oversee the development of Stanthorpe’s successful Queensland College of Wine Tourism.

Martin had his first meeting for the college at noon and signed the contract for the acquisition of ridgemill estate at 3 pm. As they say, the rest is history!

A workaholic, Martin immediately set about creating one of the Granite Belt’s most impressive wineries, upgrading the cellar door, expanding vineyard plantings, and installing eight luxury studio cabins on the property. He has an ongoing commitment to create the best, while still having fun.

In life, I always ask…are we having fun yet? What is life without fun and great wine?

Michelle’s mind never stops. Between co-owning and operating Ridgemill Estate, she travels Australia-wide as a leading Community Engagement and Facilitation Consultant.

As the eldest of seven kids, she formed multi-tasking skills at an early age. A born strategist and organiser, she creates and communicates the vision and direction for the business.

After many days, often weeks, living out of a suitcase, Michelle loves returning to her ‘Happy Place’, ridgemill estate. For her, there is nothing better than waking early to watch the mist lift over the lake, revealing the vines.

Living for a period near the Hunter Valley, plus regular trips to the Barossa, piqued her interest in wine in the early ‘80s. So much so, she couldn’t believe her luck when the man of her dreams owned a winery.

Not content with just drinking wine, Michelle is continually intrigued with the science of winemaking. And, Martin is the first to admit, she has an exceptional palate too.

My mind is always ticking, gaining new ideas from my travels that we can use at Ridgemill.

Peter McGlashan, Head Winemaker

Peter McGlashan brings a lifetime of diverse experiences to his role as Head Winemaker at ridgemill estate.

As a youngster, Peter planned on being a motor mechanic, but he soon veered into hospitality, working at hotels and clubs around Queensland before moving to the Granite Belt with his wife, Deb. In his spare time, Peter lent a hand in local vineyards, leading to jobs in a vineyard and a cellar door.

When Martin was looking for a someone to manage the cellar door, vineyard and winery at the newly established ridgemill estate in 2004, he approached Peter, who agreed to, “have a crack at it.” For 14 years he has made wines in styles as diverse as sparkling, crisp and aromatic white, smooth and textured white, rosé, dessert wines and reds ranging from lighter styles such as pinot noir (crushing with his own feet) through to more full-bodied, longer ageing varieties.

While loving the character of rich fruit in Australian wines, Peter also admires the style and balance of old world wines. His winemaking philosophy is a hybrid of the two styles – wines with Australian fresh fruit flavours perfected with European structure and finesse. While undertaking a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Southern Queensland, Peter has produced countless award-winning wines for ridgemill estate.

Ridgemill estate’s Chardonnays in particular have received accolades at international and national events, winning gold at the International Chardonnay Challenge in Gisborne, New Zealand; receiving a gold medal at the James Halliday Chardonnay Challenge; trophy for Champion White Wine (all categories of the Show) at the Australian Small Winemakers Show in 2015 and more recently gold at the First World Saperavi Prize in Tablisi, Georgia.

Peter along with Jim Barnes, was instrumental in establishing the Strangebird Alternative Wine trail, which highlights 25 lesser known varieties of wines grown in the Granite Belt. “I think wine drinkers are a bit adventurous now; they like the story behind the alternative varieties and it’s educational as well.”

I think I’m reliving my childhood as a winemaker because it lets me be quirky and creative and use my senses, which is my forte.

Jacob Veness, Assistant winemaker

School holiday visits to the Granite Belt inspired Jacob Veness to become assistant winemaker at ridgemill estate.

Originally from Townsville, Jacob fell in love with the region and its climate.

He moved to the Granite Belt as soon as he finished school to work at ridgemill wines and study at the Queensland College of Wine Tourism.

Working with winemaker Peter McGlashan in the winery and vineyards, Jacob loves the seasonal processes of picking grapes, winemaking and bottling.

Jacob’s favourite wine is his speciality, Rosé, although he also enjoys Ridgemill Estate’s award-winning Chardonnays.

In the future, Jacob plans to continue doing what he loves – making wine in the Granite Belt – as well as expanding his knowledge of winemaking by visiting other wine districts in Australia and overseas.

Hopefully in future I will be doing the thing that I love, which is making wine in the Granite Belt.

Deb McGlashan, Cabin Manager and Business Support Officer

If you’re planning a stay at Ridgemill Estate or want to add a special touch to your visit to Ridgemill Estate, Deb McGlashan is likely to be your first point of contact.

As business support officer, Deb is Ridgemill Estate’s ‘go to person’, handling cabin bookings, greeting cabin guests, assisting with the marketing, keeping social media up to date and responding to general inquiries.

Deb brings a wealth of experience to the role, having worked in hospitality in Maleny, Ipswich, and Warwick before moving to Stanthorpe with her husband Peter.

She loves the variety of working at Ridgemill Estate, where each day brings something different.

Deb especially enjoys preparing the cabins for guests and is looking forward to welcoming new and returning guests to the estate’s new cabins.

“Everyone’s friendly and it’s a nice place to come and visit, so we get a lot of returning guests,” Deb says.

Some of Ridgemill Estate’s cabin guests have been coming for 12 years and have become friends.

Tara Mosier, Cellar Door Manager

When Tara Mosier first visited the Granite Belt on a wine tasting tour, she was quick to spot opportunities to put her customer service skills to use in the Stanthorpe wine industry.

Fifteen years later, Tara Mosier is still here, now helping visitors to Ridgemill Estate to make the most of their time in the Granite Belt.

As cellar door manager at Ridgemill Estate for the past 13 months, Tara sees her role as inviting visitors to ‘experience’ the wines, rather than telling them what to drink.

“It’s all about education,” Tara says. “I love it when I get people who have never been out wine tasting – teaching them to smell the wine, swirl the glass, taste the wine…

I hope that when they leave Ridgemill Estate, they’ve enjoyed themselves and will remember it and tell their friends.